Improvement in cloth-measuring registers



S. GRUCKER.

Cloth Measuring Registers.

Patented April 15, 18 73.

AM PHU To-L/THOERdPH/c Ca NX (ossola/vifs P/vacfssfr UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL OROOKER, OF PORT ALLEN, IOWA.

IMPROVEMENT IN CLOTH-MEASURING REGISTERS.

Specification forming part of Letters PatentNo. 137,829, (lated April 15,1873; application filed January 1l, 1873.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, SAMUEL CEocKEE, of Port Allen, in the county of Louisa and State of Iowa, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Cloth Measure and Register, of which the following is a specification Figure l is a top view of my device. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section of the same taken through the line .r x, Fig. 3. Fig. 3is a detail rertical section taken through the line y y of My invention has for its object to furnish an improved device for attachment to a merchants counter, which shall be so constructed as to count and register the number of yards measured, thus rendering a second and third measurement of the goods unnecessary, as there can be no mistake in the count, and which shall be at the same time simple in construction, inexpensive in manufacture, and durable. The invention consists in an improved cloth measure and register, formed by the combination ofthe base-plate, pivot, double ratchet-wheel, flan ged top or scale spring-stop, scale, mainspring, lever pointer, adjustable bar, and spring-catch with each other, said parts being constructed and operating in connection with each other as hereinafter fully described.

A is the base-plate of the device, which is secured to the counter by screws passing through lugs formed upon the edge of the said plate, as shown in Fig. l. In the center of the counter-plate A is formed a hole to receive the lower end of the pivot B, which passes through the center of the ratchetwheel O. The upper end of the pivot B passes up through a hole in the center of the top or measure-plate D. The middle part of the upper surface of the plate D is recessed, as shown in Figs. l and 2, and upon the outer or raised part of said upper surface is formed a scale of division marks numbered from one to twentysix, and designed to indicate the number of the yards and fractions of a yard measured. The measureplate D is made with a downwardly-projecting flange, d', the lower end of which rests upon plate A to incase the ratchetwheel O. Upon the outer side of the rim or iiange d of the measure-plate D is formed, or to it is attached, a ratchetwheel, E, for the purpose hereinafter set forth. The measureplate D is securely bolted to the base-plate A so as to be iirmly held in place. Upon the upper and lower sides of the edge of the wheel O are formed ratchet-teeth, which alternate with each other. F is a stop which passes down through the 1n easure-plate D and through the base-plate A, and the lower end of which enters a hole in the counter, in which hole is placed a small coiled spring, j", which presses against the lower end of the stop F to hold it raised. Upon the side of the lower part of thestop F is formed, or to it is attached, a fiange or pin, which, when the said stop is raised, strikes against the lower side ofthe base-plate A, and thus prevents the stop from being raised too far. Upon the inner edge of the stop F is formed a notch to receive the toothed edge of the ratchet-wheel C, said notch being made of such a width that the said stop must be moved down and up alternately to enable the teeth of said wheel O to pass through the said notch. Upon the upper end of the stop F is screwed. a cap-nut, which forms the starting-point of the measuring scale. G is the measuringscale, which is formed of a narrow and thin strip of brass or other suitable sheet metal, and is secured to the counter by screws in such a position that the button or capnut of the stop F may be the initial point of the measure. The brass strip is made a yard in length from the stop F to the outer end of Athe said strip, and is divided into quarter yards by frets gl extend ing entirely across the said strip, and into eighth yards by frets g2 made about half the length of frets g1, attached to the middle parts of the strip G midway between the said frets g1. This construction enables the division marks or frets to be readily felt through the cloth being measured. His a coiled spring, one end of which is secured to the lower side of the ratchet-wheel C, and its other end is secured to the stationary base-plate A. The spring H is so arranged as to turn the ratchetwheel C forward as the stop F is operated. To the pivot B, above the measure or scale plate D, is pivoted a bar or lever, I, which is rigidly connected with the ratchet-wheel C, so that either of the parts G I may be turned by the movement ot' the other. One end of the lever I projects, and is notched upon itslower side so as to overlap the raised part of the upper surface of the plate D, and point to the scale of division-marks formed upon saidraised part. The other end of the pointer I projects sufliciently, andr is so formed as to serve as a lever or handle for turning the wheel and pointer back to the zero-mark of the scale ready to begin a measurement. To the hub of the lever-pointer I, or to the pivot B, is pivoted a bar, J, which is secured in place by a nut screwed upon the upper end of the pivot B. The lower side of the inner part of the bar J is notched, so that the lever or handle part of the lever-pointer I can pass through, but not the other or pointer part, the bar J thus serving as a stop to the lever-pointer I. To the outer end of the bar J, which projects a little beyond the edge of the plate D, is pivoted a lever-catch, K, which is made with two arms, one projecting downward across the rim ofthe plate D to'take hold of the teeth ofthe ratchet-wheel E, and the other projecting inward along the said bar to serve as a lever for raising the catch away from the said teeth to allow the said barJ to be readily adjusted. The catch K is held against the teethE by a spring, L, placed between its inwardly-projecting arm and the bar J, as shown in Fig. 3. In using -the machine the bar J is adjusted to thev division-marks ofthe scale of the plate D that indicates the number of yards to be measured o, where it is held by the spring-catch K L. The end of the edge of the cloth to be measured is then brought by the right hand of the operator to the button on the upper end of the* stop F. The left hand is then slipped .along the edge of the cloth to the last fret of the scale G., 'The stop F is then pressed downward by the thumb of the right hand, and the spring H revolves the wheel C half atooth, or until the tooth of the upper ratchet of said wheel strikes the stop F. As the pressure upon the stop F is removed, the saidA stop is forced upward by the spring f', and the wheel C is revolved another half tooth by the spring H, bringing the pointer I to the division-mark marked one of the scale ofthe plate D, and so on, the pointer I always registering the number of yards measured oft'. As the pointer I in its movement reaches the bar J the further operation of the machine is stopped, and the operator knows that he has measured olf the required quantity.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- An improved cloth measure and register, formed by the combination of the base-plate A, pivot B, double ratchet-Wheel G, top or scale-plate D, ratchet-wheel E, stop F f, scale G g1 g2, mainspring H, leverpointer I, adjustable bar J, and spring-catch yK L with each other, said parts being constructed and operating substantially as herein vshown and described.

SAMUEL UROCKER. Witnesses DANIEL A. BLAKE, M. MCENIRY. 

